2014 providence mayoral race

He puffed on the Monte Cristo in his right hand, sipped Cognac with his left and regaled a table of cronies and hangers-on with jokes and florid commentary.

It was vintage Buddy Cianci, perched at an outdoor table on a balmy evening at the Capital Grille late last Tuesday night, entertaining the crowd long after the thick sirloins and fancy wines had been devoured.

Providence mayoral candidate Brett Smiley and guest panelist Tim White join Political Roundtable this week to discuss the race to replace Angel Taveras at City Hall; the debate over evaluating teachers; Richard Licht's nomination as a Superior Court judge; and other issues.

City Council President Michael Solomon has continued his pacesetting fundraising among Providence mayoral candidates, collecting more than $137,000 in the first quarter of 2014 to push his war chest past the $600,000 mark.

On occasion the best way to pick up Rhode Island political tidbits is to head to Boston, specifically to Fenway Park on the afternoon of the home opener, aka the Big Papi show.

As usual, former Providence Democratic state and devout Sawx fan Rep. Peter Wasylyk was in his seat near the first base line cheering on the team. During a brief conversation, he confirmed that he is going back to the Statehouse to become legal counsel to the new House Majority Leader, Rep. John DeSimone, D-North Providence.

Welcome back to my Friday column. Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to drop me a line with feedback or juicy tips at idonnis (at) ripr (dot) org, and remember you can follow me all week long on the twitters. Here we go.

It's a time of transition, in the weather, the political landscape (item #1), and the media (#5), so thanks for stopping by for my Friday column. Your thoughts and tips are always welcome, and you can follow me all week long on the twitters. Let's get to it.

What everyone in the Rhode Island political swirl should understand about the state pension overhaul settlement details that are due for release tomorrow: This is very likely to be only the beginning of a protracted process.

One thing we know for sure. Even if it is fair and reasonable, not everyone is going to like it. Some unionized state employees and teachers will not be satisfied with anything less than a full restoration of the pension benefits that were sliced dramatically in the 2011 special General Assembly pension session.